10 Video Editing Tricks to Make Your Videos Look Like a Movie

Now equipped with his wisdom and ideas, here are 10 advanced editing principles that make any video feel like something out of a cinema:

Storytelling Begins Before the First Cut

Editors are often seen as seasoned finishers polishing the finer details, but they are only effective if they act at the script level. Through his own experience, Gupta promotes editor involvement right from the scripting and visual concept stage. According to him, such involvement allows editors to build a powerful narrative from the ground up. Gupta often begins his creative process at the pitch or scripting stage, not the edit bay. Whether it’s a Nike campaign or a Netflix docuseries, he works with directors and producers to identify emotional pivots, scene arcs, and key transitions early. “When editors are involved from the beginning, the story breathes better,” Gupta says.

Multimedia Literacy Is a Must

Editors today are expected to know VFX, animation, and motion graphics. This is what makes modern editing truly impactful. Gupta excels at bringing mediums together for one immersive experience—as seen in his Microsoft Olympic campaign, where he fused screen graphics, VFX, archival, and live-action into one cohesive emotional journey. Today’s most cinematic editors think in visual layers, not just linear scenes.

Edit for Emotions, Not Mere Sequence

“Don’t just ask ‘what comes next?’ Ask, ‘How should this feel?’ I sometimes watch edits in silence to make sure there is an emotional resonance, even if there is no sound.” His edits focus on emotional architecture, using pacing, silence, and rhythm to carry scenes. This is evident in Dr. Elevator, his award-winning debut, and other campaigns that have resonated with billions.

Cultural Relevance Beats Trends

Great editors never chase trends—they create them. Gupta’s editing style has shaped not only the voice of countless brands but also global cultural conversations, from Victoria’s Secret to T-Mobile.

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Platform-Edited Differently, Please

What works on TikTok is not meant for YouTube. Gupta rethinks structure, rhythm, and resolution for each platform: awareness of format is half the story. From T-Mobile’s viral Super Bowl spots to Microsoft’s global Copilot campaign, Gupta adapts narrative flow to each platform—mobile, theatrical, social, or streaming. He builds native edits that speak the language of their medium without losing cinematic weight.

In Pre-Production, Early Collaboration from Script to Screen

Early collaboration is a must, says Gupta. Ideally, editors should be present during brainstorming and location recce to set the visual tone and pacing before the director shoots the first frame.

Layers of Visuals Develop Depth

In building layers of meaning, Gupta combines archival footage, cinematic sequences, animation, and real-time visuals to create stories that are both deep and lasting. Editors today must be hybrids—part filmmaker, part technologist, part storyteller.

Pacing Is the Editor’s Pulse

Editing is rhythm. Gupta sculpts emotional arcs through transitions and silence, using timing to build tension, provide relief, and foster connection. He isn’t afraid to bend time or tone to create more powerful story arcs. “Editors have the power to change how the story is remembered,” he explains.

Build With Voice, Not Just Skill

As one of the few editors from the Global South working at the highest levels of Hollywood and international brand storytelling, Gupta brings a culturally rooted, globally fluent voice to every project. His films, like ‘Please Don’t Call the Cops’ (HBO-nominated) showcase this deeply personal yet globally resonant perspective.

Editors Are the New Auteur

Gupta is part of a movement redefining the role of editors. No longer just the final hand, today’s top editors are visionaries who shape tone, structure, emotion, and impact. His work across Emmy-nominated films, Netflix originals, and billion-view campaigns proves that editors now direct from the inside out.

Editing today isn’t just technical—it’s emotional, intuitive, and cultural. Thanks to experts like Kartikye Gupta, we now see editing as the heartbeat of storytelling, not the final step. In the right hands, an edit doesn’t just shape a video—it makes it unforgettable.

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This article is written by Kartikye Gupta, Director, Editor, and Founder of ScrollX.io.

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Image Courtesy: Freepik